Liam Payne Dies After Hallucinogen-Induced Psychotic Episode and Fall from Hotel Balcony
On October 18 (local time), entertainment outlet TMZ reported, citing Buenos Aires (Argentina) police, that Payne had been under the influence of a dangerous substance called “cristal”, which can cause users to experience extreme highs and extreme lows, often making them aggressive.
Police believe Payne’s “abnormal” behavior may have been partly caused by the drug, which likely led him to hallucinate before leaping from the third-floor balcony of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires.
An industry insider revealed, “Liam had been struggling with a severe addiction to drugs, and despite numerous attempts to help him, his treatment was ineffective, as those who knew him can attest.“
Some witnesses claimed that Payne exhibited concerning behavior in the final hours before his death.
A hotel guest mentioned seeing Payne destroy a laptop, while another reported witnessing an argument between Payne and an unidentified woman in the hotel lobby over money issues.
Liam Payne tragically fell from the third floor of the hotel on October 16. Pablo Policicchio, the spokesperson for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality, confirmed that “Payne threw himself from the balcony of his room“.
Medical examiners determined that his head injuries were severe enough to cause death, with reports indicating internal and external bleeding in the skull, chest, abdomen and limbs as the causes of death.
Payne leaves behind a 7-year-old son from his previous relationship with singer Cheryl Cole.
